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On The Run

WOW! I’m sorry I’ve not been able to write lately, but I’ve been on the run for the last several weeks. I thought with only two eagles in the garden (and now a smaller third), I wouldn’t have much worry about being spotted, but I didn’t count on the eagle eyes of this gardening staff. Every time I think I’ve found a great spot to settle down one of those

Mountain Laurel

darn gardeners comes around pulling weeds so I’ve had to skedaddle. All their hard work has made the gardens absolutely beautiful, but my life absolutely horrible.

There has been a silver lining to this terrible storm cloud. I have seen a lot of the Garden during a beautiful time of the year. I’ve been to Mirror Lake twice, where thousands of azaleas were in bloom earlier and now mountain laurel brightens the shady areas. Both times the gardener Tom chased me away with his methodical, machine-like weeding efficiency. The Flowering Arboretum has featured many beautiful trees including the red buckeye, fringetree and now the Japanese snowbell with its hordes of dainty white flowers. But Bob, the gardener there, almost stomped me flat three times. Across the way in the meadow, the flowers are just starting to pop open and I can see the beautiful five-spot and the cheery California poppy, but Theresa patrols the open space with a determined vigilance. I think she’s mostly looking for mugwort, but I fell under her gaze once too many. I moved over to the Native Plant Garden just in time to see the beautiful coastal azalea in bloom along with the bright yellow ‘John Clayton’ honeysuckle, but Theresa followed me like a bad nightmare. For several nights I had a horrid dream about giant hands reaching to pluck me from my beloved earth, so I had to find a new spot.

I enjoyed Baker overlook for a few days, where the amsonia is flowering nicely, but Carol chased me away. I went to Statuary Vista which is full of many different flowers including false indigo, peonies and irises. I tried to hide under one of the many hostas, but Melissa spied me and came after me with a mean looking trowel. She is the same gardener who had chased me away from the Sensory Garden a few days earlier while I was trying to enjoy the sights and smells in there. I even went to the shady Rhododendron Glade, where azaleas and giant flowering rhododendrons are in bloom. But nothing seems to escape the sharp eyes of Sabrina, so I left.

One of my favorite gardens I stopped at too briefly this spring was the Border Garden. Drifts of daisies, columbine, foxglove and a variety of interesting perennials make for an extremely colorful display. Unfortunately, Kathy seems to hang around too much, making sure all is tidy. So I moved down to the Colonial Garden and she popped up there like a bad weed. I did not have nearly enough time to enjoy the old roses, lavender, pot marigold and foxgloves there. The Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden looks great this spring with a variety of irises, evening primrose and other glorious flowers bursting open. But I had to leave, Ann is one gardener I don’t want to tangle with. I thought I could enjoy the thousands of roses in bloom earlier this week. The gardener there, Jim, has his arm in a sling, but I forgot his eyes still work and he has strong fingers on his left hand.

So I’ve had to go into hiding. All the gardeners I mentioned, plus all the rest who work diligently with the plants, just won’t leave me alone. They all want this garden to look its best for the visitors and seem to think I don’t belong. Hopefully this weekend with all their attention focused on the plant sale I will get a chance to relax. I think I found a good spot, though. I noticed as the gardeners leave the greenhouse, they all head left, to the main part of the garden. I’ve gone right, into the Beautiful Gardens™ trial beds. Maybe they’ll leave me alone there, or, if they do spot me, think I’m part of the trial. Keep your sepals crossed.